Quotes on editing, editors, writing, writers . . .

[_Lynn_]

I see a lot of truth in this one.

I tried an outline . . . once. What a pain. The time I spent on the outline was time I should have been writing the story.

 

[sr71plt]

I start with notes. But an outline is limiting, on purpose, and I don't find that serves writing fiction very well.

 

[PennLady]

I tried an outline . . . once. What a pain. The time I spent on the outline was time I should have been writing the story.

I've found that I write outlines when I'm about half way through, mostly to remind me of what I've written. Then I sort of outline the rest although I don't necessarily follow it. But it gives me a place to write ideas that I might otherwise forget until I get time to write the story or part of the story.

I personally disagree that outlines are bad or a "last resort." Everyone writes differently.

 

[sr71plt]

Yep, whatever works for the individual writer.

 

[_Lynn_]

Yep, whatever works for the individual writer.

Yep, I agree.

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Try to leave out the part that readers tend to skip. ELMORE LEONARD

"The people doing the insulting are mostly waders, after all, and do not know what the deep water is like" PETE DEXTER

 

[JAMESBJOHNSON]

Write sex like you was a peeping tom or listening to the slut next door thru the wall. Me

 

[Athalia]

"When I split an infinitive, it's going to damn' well stay split!" -- James Thurber, to a New Yorker editor

"The difference between the right word and the almost-right word is the difference between the lightning and the lightning bug." -- Mark Twain

 

[sr71plt]

Yeah, like the Thurber one. No doubt he put a great cartoon drawing next to it in what he sent the editor too.

 

[elfin_odalisque]

_ Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Anton Chekhov

- Writing is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.

Virginia Woolf

 

[eWoman]

No time to read through all posts...Hemingway: The secret to good writing is rewriting. At least, I think that's from him...so many quotes...

 

[_Lynn_]

“I've always said "Writer's Block" is a myth. There is no such thing as writer's block, only writers trying to force something that isn't ready yet. Sometimes I don't write for weeks. And then all of the sudden I'll get a rush of inspiration and you can't drag me away from my notebook. But I don't stress out if I don't hit some arbitrary word count each day or if I go a few days without writing something.”
― Julie Ann Dawson

 

[AsylumSeeker]

If you treat every problem as a nail, you tend to use a hammer.

Don't know who said it, that was in an email sig for a really good worker who got laid off and shouldn't have.

 

[Athalia]

If you treat every problem as a nail, you tend to use a hammer.

The way I heard that was:

"When the only tool you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail."

 

[AsylumSeeker]

That sounds better and is probably correct.

Thanks.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

“I've always said "Writer's Block" is a myth. There is no such thing as writer's block, only writers trying to force something that isn't ready yet. Sometimes I don't write for weeks. And then all of the sudden I'll get a rush of inspiration and you can't drag me away from my notebook. But I don't stress out if I don't hit some arbitrary word count each day or if I go a few days without writing something.”
― Julie Ann Dawson

Well said, ML. I go for weeks without writing, then am prolific. But lately I'm less prolific than before. Wonder if age is a factor? I know I want to add to series but have no impulse, drive, whatever.

Oh well.

 

[AsylumSeeker]

_ Don't tell me the moon is shining; show me the glint of light on broken glass.

Anton Chekhov

- Writing is like sex. First you do it for love, then you do it for your friends, and then you do it for money.

Virginia Woolf

She must have died rich. Or poor. Depends on how she looked.

AS